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#5 Dearest Mother: August 5-18. Still in billets but we're spoiling for a fight and I have the best platoon in the regement every one of my 58 men is for use and it has toke a month of careful work but they show that they are & I am happy. They would go to their death for me & it is a grave responsibility. It is funny how you are with people a long time and suddenly find out they are some body you are closely connected with a Lt Shoemaker here knows Sandy Spring & all that goes with it. I haven't heard from you yet its been just one month since I left seems long
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I am able to carry on quit a conversation in French now the people help you lots & every day you pick up some few words. I am writting by candle light and gettng ready to go to bed I am in bed by 9 P.M. or 21 oclock. I get up at 5 A.M. and I have about 1 hr to do as I like during the day. I have all ready read upwards of 1000 letters and some of them are corkers perfect screams. I am learning lots everyday today I laid out a system of trenchs and day after tomorrow the reg. will storm them. The people here think our band is wonderful - it is finest One old codger about 120 yrs old is the town cryer he goes from place to place with a drum & after beating on it for a few minutes announces
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that M [Luilamm?] has lost a lam. its great. Every few houses there are three or four soldiers billeted and the custemary practice is a couple of em out front with a French girl teaching them French with many gesticulations shrugs & nods. It rains here with out much warning and you have many wettings that seem unnecessary please give my love to Spring land and Rocksland also Elborn - Mildreds and every one of my relatives also one little girl thee knows. Oh! Doctor! I am glad to be able to report the excellant record of Americas troop moraly in this country
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every one is proud of the clean young men that the USA has sent over and their morals are unequaled by any army that ever followed their leader I know that this is true. Our meals have improved we had a bully dinner today I am thinner but that's better as I was too fat when I left Camp Meade Hoping that I will hear before long I am as ever thine lovingly Jack Awfal writting mater but I am pretty hurried these days and thy love for me excuses many things O.R John N Bentley grnd Lt 313 Inf. NC.